Why Paraguay Just Granted Full Impunity to US Soldiers on its Territory

The landlocked South American country, after years of failure, seems to be planning for the US to lead its fight against drug trafficking groups like the PCC.

On March 10, Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies voted 53 to 8 to give complete legal impunity for American soldiers operating in the country.

Outside the Asunción parliament, government officials called it a historic moment. Independent congressman Raúl Benítez had a different take. "The security of a country," he told deputies, "is not built by importing troops or shielding foreign agents with diplomatic immunities."

He was comprehensively ignored.

Why did Paraguay grant complete impunity to US soldiers?

It began with a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed on December 15, 2025 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano in Washington.

Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and Marco Rubio at the SOFA signing ceremony. Source: US State Department.